In late 1990s nobody or, at least, nobody considered relevant by the establishment in major Western countries, thought that globalisation can be stopped and that the actual borders between the countries would have any relevance. The inevitable process went hand in hand with the idea that all countries, or at least all major Western countries, would become multicultural. The idea is still promoted today, but in quarter of century ago, it was done with much more nuance and subtlety than “woke” Hollywood films or Netflix shows we have to endure today. An example can be found in East Is East, 1999 British film directed by Damien O’Donnell.
The film is based on 1996 stage play by Ayub Khan Din, British author who also wrote the screenplay. Plot is set in Salford, city near Manchester in 1971. Pakistani immigrant Zahir “George” Khan (played by Om Puri) has been living there for decades and married Ella (played by Linda Bassett), English woman with whom he has seven children. His neighbour Mr. Moorhouse (played by John Bardon) is supporter of Enoch Powell, controversial politician who advocates that all immigrants from former colonies of British Empire should be deported to their native countries. George, however, doesn’t seem too concerned about it, just as he isn’t too worried about war that might set his native Pakistan against India over Bangladesh. What concerns him the most are his children, who have adapted not only to the new country, but also accepted new and “relaxed” social mores of Swinging Sixties with the speed that shocks even the native English. After his son Nazir (played by Ian Aspinall) publicly disgraces him by running away from arranged marriage, George is determined not to allow this to happen again, even if he has to use force on his increasingly rebellious children. He arranges marriages for two other sons without telling them anything about it. While Abdul (played by Raji James) acts like a good son and obeys his father, Tariq (played by Jimmy Mistry) is in relationship with Moorehouse’s daughter Stella (played by Emma Rydal) and confronts George leading to escalating conflict within family.
Despite being based on stage play and produced with modest budget, East Is East looks refreshing compared with films with similar subjects. The author is, like the young character, grew up in ethnically mixed family, so he is quite familiar with issue and is willing to explore it from different viewpoints and generally avoid simplistic “politically correct” sermons you might expect from Hollywood films. This is best seen in characters, that are portrayed as complex and multidimensional. George, played by renowned Indian actor Om Puri, is patriarch who has difficult conforming to modern times; he tries to present himself as domineering while being henpecked by his wife and genuinely loves his children despite turning violent towards them near the end. East Is East was advertised as a comedy, but near the end dark tones make it look more like a drama. Despite the genre ambiguity, film works due to solid direction by Irish film maker Damien O’Donnell which keeps proper balance between comical and more serious scenes. Balance can also be viewed in the way East Is East treats conflict between tradition and modernity. Authors are clearly taking pro-Western liberal stance (which could be, among other things, be seen in prodigal son Nazir being portrayed as gay), but they also allow character of local imam to give valid arguments why should young people in his community maintain traditional values. East Is East also benefits from very good cast, which includes Linda Basset who repeats the role she played in stage version. Veteran Indian actor Om Puri stands out by playing complex character of devoted family man who is also violent thug, making it both similar and very different from the character Temura Morrison played in Once Were Warriors. Ayub Khan Din and O’Donnell were also very wise to put the plot in the past, thus avoiding possibility of looking too contemporary or too preachy. This was a wise decision, because two years after the premiere War on Terror an its aftershocks in Britain have made concept of multiculturalism look more controversial and the subject much darker and depressive than this film might suggest. However, the authors did pay too much homage to late 1990s through the character Sajid (played by Jordan Routledge), youngest son who always wears parka – a detail that can be explained only as misguided and “clever” reference to character of Kenny in South Park. Despite these flaws, East Is East has more than enough charms and humour to be recommended even to viewers not interested in mindset of Western film makers at the end of 20th Century.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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